HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering revealed a design model for a nuclear-powered container ship incorporating small modular reactor (SMR) technology.
On 12th (U.S. time), HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering unveiled its nuclear-powered SMR container ship design model for the first time at the New Nuclear for Maritime Houston Summit held at the Asia Society Texas Center in Houston.
Previously, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering obtained basic certification (AIP) for a container ship design model of 15,000 TEU (1 TEU is one 6-meter container) applying SMR technology from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). The nuclear-powered container ship design model unveiled this time incorporates equipment and safety design concepts.
Unlike traditional vessels, nuclear-powered ships do not require equipment such as exhaust systems or fuel tanks for engines. This allows for additional container capacity in the existing engine room equipment space, improving economic efficiency. The company explained that it has ensured safety by applying a dual-tank marine radiation shielding system using stainless steel and light water (used as coolant and neutron moderator in reactors).
HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering plans to complete the development of maritime nuclear business models by 2030, starting with the manufacturing of land-based SMR reactors. Sang-min Park, executive director of the Green Energy Research Lab at HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, noted, "We are strengthening cooperation not only with major classification societies but also with international regulatory agencies to prepare international regulations necessary for the commercialization of nuclear-powered ships."
Since February last year, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering has been conducting joint research on next-generation SMR with TerraPower. In December last year, it secured an order for the main equipment production of the TerraPower sodium reactor being constructed in Wyoming.